VIEWPOINTS: Doc approach to governing may need a second opinion

Last Sunday's column by News Editor Tom Scarritt describes Gov. Robert Bentley's approach to governing as one of close adherence to how a physician deals with his or her patients. The governor, while on the campaign trail, described the state as "sick and in need of a doctor." Bentley seems to be satisfied that the state's General Fund is his sickest patient.

Alabama receives slightly more than a $1.60 return on each dollar sent to Washington. These federal funds have enabled past governors and legislators to stretch the General Fund just far enough to marginally meet some of the basic needs of citizens who are in need of public services from state agencies and departments such as Medicaid, mental health, public health, human resources, public safety and the judicial system.

Bentley has made clear that he sees a need to protect funding for Medicaid, corrections, the state auditor and the Ethics Commission. The state Medicaid Agency and the Department of Corrections are slated to receive about $1 billion from the General Fund in fiscal year 2012. This leaves precious little for the remainder of state government. There will be increasingly fewer funds available for the balance of state government once the remaining one-time revenues are depleted and the stimulus funds are gone.

The General Fund budget that is currently before the Legislature will bring with it serious funding shortages for many core functions of state government. The budget for fiscal year 2013 may hold even deeper cuts. Reductions in funds for mental health, public health, human resources, the judicial system and public safety will erode the quality of life for all Alabamians, not just those individuals directly impacted by the cuts. When community mental health services are cut, for example, many people with serious mental illness will be returned to state mental hospitals at a cost of more than twice the cost of community care.

Alabama needs a healthy and adequate General Fund. The state's General Fund problems cannot be cured by radical surgery. Deep cuts can be made to the point of bringing spending in line with sustainable revenues. But at what cost to the quality of life for all Alabama citizens? If radical surgery on most of the core functions of state government is the only perceived prescription available to cure the state's ills, perhaps a second opinion is needed.

Alabamians don't need to be the highest-taxed people in the country, or even close to it. But if we weren't the least taxed, our General Fund would be capable of providing at least a minimum level of services to Alabama's most vulnerable citizens. There is no intrinsic value in being the least-taxed people in the nation. Being the least-taxed significantly compromises our ability to serve "the least of those among us."

Bentley's integrity, sincerity and physician skills are not in question. The governor appears to have assembled a fine Cabinet, one capable of serving Alabama citizens well. But if the majority of the Cabinet members are given woefully inadequate resources with which to meet the needs of those served by their respective agencies, their skills will be wasted and those under their care will suffer.

Alabama citizens deserve better than Third World public services. Let's hope that our elected officials recognize where we are headed as a state and choose to lead us in a better direction.

James L. Dill, Ed.D., is executive director of the Alabama Council of Community Mental Health Boards. Email: accmhb@aol.com.